Required reading
Institutes of Christian religion by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Chapter 16 of Book 4 by reading sections 10 to 22.
My summary
Today we see further defenses of infant baptism from Calvin.
Firstly he deals with the argument by baptists that there is a distinction between baptism and circumcision, and therefore baptism does not correlate to circumcision.
Secondly Calvin answers the objection that baptism should be denied to children because they are as yet unfit, from nonage, to understand the mystery which is sealed in baptism.
Similarly to his second answer, thirdly Calvin discusses the idea that infant baptism is rejected because baptism is given for the remission of sins.
What grabbed me
Calvin's second and third arguments today can be easily objected to by baptists if one does believe in infant salvation for all who die before an age of accountability.
Sadly Calvin did not seem to see that the problem with his argument is that not all infants are indeed regenerate - many infants grow up to give strong evidence that they are indeed unregenerate. Calvin brought in John the Baptist and Jesus Christ ass examples of infants who were saved. But they are exceptions, not the rule.
Next week's reading
Conclude Chapter 16 of Book 4.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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